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7 TV shows that have changed our lives

It is fair to say we are a nation of telly addicts, as there are few things more enjoyable than sitting in front of the box and catching up on a much loved soap or series. But did you know that TV shows can literally change your life?

In recent years, certain TV shows have influenced our buying preferences and opinions on people. Don’t believe us? Well, here are 7 examples that prove television remains a powerful and prominent form of entertainment.

It is fair to say we are a nation of telly addicts, as there are few things more enjoyable than sitting in front of the box and catching up on a much loved TV show. But did you know that shows can literally change your life?

In recent years, certain TV shows have influenced our buying preferences and opinions on people. Don’t believe us? Well, here are 5 examples that prove television remains a powerful and prominent form of entertainment.

Friends

In the 1990s, Joey’s “how you doin’?” chat-up line might have been jokingly used by men looking to break the ice in a bar, but it turns out women were more pre-occupied with the cast’s haircuts.

Jennifer Aniston made the “Rachel” cut one of the most popular hairstyles of all time.

Since the show debuted over 15 years ago, it is estimated that 11 million women tried to replicate this style.

Game of Thrones

It seems as though the guts and gore of this fantasy drama are making their way onto our plates, not just our television screens.

Sales of foods linked to The Middle Ages have soared in supermarkets.

In four weeks, Morissons sold 54,000 packs of lamb bones and saw a 105 per cent rise in pig liver sales.

The Big Bang Theory

You may not be able to climb the career ladder as high as Sheldon or Leonard, but this hasn’t stopped various students pursuing scientific subjects during higher education.

The subject of physics enjoyed a surge of interest among A-level students since the shows debut in the UK.

There was a 10 per cent increase in the number of students accepted to read physics at university between 2008-09, which is when the show first broadcast here.

Breaking Bad

No, Breaking Bad hasn’t resulted in more of us setting-up our own methamphetamine cooking laboratories. Instead, it has changed the way we watch TV.

On-demand streaming services like Netflix mean we now binge on television shows, consuming multiple episodes in one go.

We also take to social media and share our opinions on the latest episode.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Television can inform and inspire us in a number of ways, but it can sometimes take this interest a little too far as well and adjust our perception of reality, as CSI demonstrates.

In the UK, the number of students enrolled in forensic science majors has increased from 2,191 in 2002-03 to 5,664 in 2007-08 thanks to shows like CSI.

However, these crime dramas have also affected court cases, as juries believe forensic evidence and DNA is always on hand to solve any mystery.

Mad Men

Despite the fact Ask Men named Don Draper as the most influential man in the world, we are seemingly more interested in his choice of beverage rather than the advertising mogul’s life and career.

US revenues for Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey rose by 9.6 per cent to $2.7 billion in 2014.

Exports topped $1 billion for the second straight year in 2014.

House of Cards

While most of us would all love to know what goes on behind the White House’s closed doors, we have to make do with political dramas like House of Cards. But this might be closer to reality than you may have previously thought.

Bill Clinton believes 99 per cent of this sitcom’s portrayal of Washington is an accurate reflection of reality.

Some critics have also said that House of Cards is politically biased towards conservative beliefs.